Manchester City legend Rodney Marsh has backed the treble winners to make a move for Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong.

It was reported at the weekend that the Citizens were considering a £90m bid for the Dutch international, as they look at potential alternatives for Declan Rice, and Marsh told the Daily Star that the Barca Star would be a “cheaper and better” option to pursue than the West Ham captain.

City did offer a similar figure for Rice, but their proposal (which included £80m plus another £10m in addons) was turned down, with Arsenal ultimately winning the race for the England international with a bid totalling £105m.

Considering Barcelona are in financial difficulties, it’s hard to see them rejecting any offer that comes close to the numbers mentioned, although the deal won’t come without its own complications.

De Jong may not want to leave Barca for City

It should be noted that City’s rivals Manchester United tried in vain to secure the Dutchman’s services last summer, with the midfielder refusing to leave the Camp Nou.

Considering de Jong made 43 appearances in all competitions for Barcelona last campaign, including 37 starts, he is not exactly desperate for a move to get more game time. On top of that, he is earning a staggering £620,000 a week, which is not a salary that City would be prepared to match either.

Are there alternatives to de Jong?

The European champions are believed to be seriously considering triggering the release clause of Celta Vigo attacking midfielder Gabri Veiga, along with a number of other Premier League clubs.

However, the Spanish Under 21 international is a very different type of player to de Jong, so it remains to be seen if City are also planning moves for another holding midfielder with similar attributes to the Dutchman or Rice.